Our Favorite Turkey Hunting Gear

We spoke with some hard-hitting turkey fanatics to get you a list of their top turkey hunting gear that’s not going to break the bank. This list covers calls, decoys, blinds and seats. All the essentials to take into the field when getting out to chase that Spring Thunder.

Turkey Calls

There are a variety of types of turkey calls out there. My advice here is buy a few different ones, try them out, and see what you’re most comfortable with. It’s all about building confidence in the call so that when the time comes and that Gobbler is lighting up over the ridge, you can confidently lay those sweet purrs out there to coax him to come on in.

For your most common call types, you have the box call, a pot call and then a mouth call. Below are a few of our favorites in each category.

Primos Hunting Hook-Up Magnetic Box Call

Primos Power Crystal

Primos Strikers

Some extra strikers for your pot call. I found this three pack a great way to add some variety to your kit.

Zink Signature Series Snake Tongue Diaphragm Turkey Mouth Call

I’ve enjoyed the Zink calls, and I like buying a variety pack to see what works the best for my mouth and the different sounds you can produce. Other great call makers to check out are Rocky Mountain Hunting Calls and Phelps Game Calls.

Decoys

I’ve hunted with crappy decoys, and I’ve hunted with life-like decoys. A good decoy can really make the difference on having that Tom commit to coming into your setup. You don’t need to break the bank here, but it’s a good idea to have a few different types of decoys to use that look as realistic as possible.

I’d recommend having a few hen decoys, a jake decoy as well as a strutter when the time comes. You don’t know what’s going to do the trick, but it’s always great to have options out there but typically we’re just running a few decoys at a time based on the time of the season.

Avian-X Lookout Hen Turkey Decoy

Primos Gobstopper Jake & Hen

A great combo to pick up from Primos with both a Jake and Hen decoy.

Flambeau Turkey Master Series Flocked King Strutter Decoy

If you’re looking to add a Tom to your setup, this is a great option from Flambeau Outdoors. We don’t always hunt with a strutter, but when it’s on, these work magic.

Another option here is to use a fan from a Jake or Tom that you killed in previous years, and then use that actual fan as part of your decoy set. Here’s a photo of a fan we were setting up in our garage to use as a fan on a decoy in the coming years.

Chicken on Stick for Reaping Turkeys

Probably one of the most exciting and fun ways to hunt turkeys is to reap them. Make the move on them when they won’t commit to your setup. Our hunting group has killed a lot of birds this way, and the ol’ Chicken on Stick does the job. It’s so much fun to hunt behind, especially when you get a Tom to commit.

Blinds

Hunting from a blind can be a very effective method when trying to fool birds to come into your set. Turkeys have amazing vision, and more often than not they bust you based on your movement. This is why a blind can be extremely helpful.

Turkeys can’t see depth, so they can’t actually see the blind if it’s blending in with it’s surrounding environment. Blinds do an amazing job of covering any movement for those of us that have a hard time sitting still. They can also provide cover in areas where you can’t necessarily blend in - like the middle of a field. The blinds today are pretty light and mobile, so you can set them up quickly and move as necessary.

Here are few highly rated blinds to choose from that aren’t too expensive.

Ameristep Care Taker Ground Blind in Realtree Xtra

Barronett Blinds Radar Portable Blind

Ameristep Portable Blind

A great portable blind option if you’re looking to run and gun a bit more. These are awesome for setting up on tree lines or at the base of a tree.

Seats

Turkey hunting can involve a lot of sitting around and in some cases, not the most comfortable of spots. That’s why it’s nice to either bring a pad to sit on, or if you’re lucky enough, you can roll out in one of these plush chairs to make your hunt even more comfortable. Some sort of pad or seat makes a big difference. It will allow you to sit more still and spend more time in the field, thus improving your chances of success. Here are a few we’d recommend checking out.

For the minimalist, you can try a pad….

Beard Buster Jumbo Seat

A little extra padding to carry into the woods

Here’s a hybrid pads that also have some back support.

Beard Buster EZ Chair

Cushion and a backrest can go a long way

And then if you want to go for serious comfort, go for the chair. You won’t regret it once you’re out there. Our turkey crew loves the Turkey Loungers out there.

Browning Camping Strutter Chair

Conclusion

That’s it for some gear recommendations. Not all of these are necessary but definitely help with your time in the spring woods. Also, check out some of our other turkey hunting related posts

Thanks for checking out this post. If you have any tips or favorite pieces of gear, we’d love to hear about it. Shoot us an email at info@quiverapp.co to share any of your gear tips or turkey hunting advice.